Thiruvananthapuram – On International Workers’ Day, ASHA workers in Kerala intensified their longstanding protest, now in its 81st day, with renewed calls for better wages and working conditions. The ongoing sit-in outside the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, which began on February 10, is among the longest demonstrations by ASHA workers in the state’s history.
Though a 43-day hunger strike was called off earlier, the protest is moving into a more expansive phase. Workers have announced a state-wide rally from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram, scheduled to take place from May 5 to 17, to draw wider attention to their demands.
Support for the protest is growing. Classical dancer and Kerala Kalamandalam Chancellor Mallika Sarabhai publicly voiced her solidarity in a Facebook post, where she criticised restrictions on her freedom of expression after speaking out in support of the movement. She also acknowledged a citizen-led crowdfunding campaign spearheaded by writer Sarah Joseph, aimed at supplementing ASHA workers’ salaries.
“Today I got my first taste of what it means to be the chancellor of a university. Restricted speech”, Sarabhai wrote, expressing frustration over being silenced for supporting the workers. “Do I even want to stop being me?”
ASHA workers, key figures in the state’s healthcare delivery system, are demanding a fixed monthly honorarium of ₹21,000 and a retirement benefit of ₹5 lakh. Despite partial relief from the Kerala Health Department—including the release of two months’ pending dues and relaxed eligibility criteria for honorarium—workers remain firm on their core demands.
The protest has also inspired parallel agitations. Women Civil Police Officer (CPO) rank holders have launched their own protest, highlighting low appointment rates. Of the 900 candidates on the list, only around 200 have received job recommendations so far.
ASHA workers had earlier made headlines on International Women’s Day with a massive march involving women from across the state, in a strong display of collective dissent against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
The movement continues to gather momentum, signalling broader discontent among women workers in the state’s public sector.
